Stargate Aurora Episode 1: Pilot
by The Legate
Summary: When the Aurora is dispatched by the High Council to retrieve the Scientist Janus matters are only made worse when they are ordered to evict a number of human vessels that are taking refuge from the Wraith in gas giant where Janus has sequestered himself.
1. Chapter 1

Stargate Aurora.

Part 1:There is a languor of the life...

Cast

Bruce Dawson-Captain Renatus Villgans

Pascale Hutton-Commander Trebal

Micheal Lieson-Second Watch Captain Verro

Nestor Carbonell-Gun Captain Adalyx

Nicole De Boer-Karyan, Ships physician.

Terry Farrell-Colonel Kiana, CAG

...............................................................................................................................

The old man sat at his desk in the middle of the night, as he usually found himself doing. Checking reports, status', news on the war...none of it was good. The more he read and absorbed the more it dawned on him that it was getting harder and harder for his people to fight this war. '_The Ascended.'_ he thought to himself, if he ever let a stray thought like that become public morale on the ship would go down faster than an ancient sailing ship in a storm.

The consequences would be far worse if he let this be known in a public forum like the high council, surely they would take his command away and control of the ship would be left to some bumbling imbecile, new blood to this already red river that was the war. As he dismissed such thoughts away he waved his hand over one of the many dozens of pads that littered the room and that concentrated over his desk...in effect signing them with his DNA, letting anyone who wanted to know that he gave his approval. For what, he had no idea but he did approve it.

"Will Captain Vilgans and Commander Trebal please report to the bridge?" He sighed and pressed the small communication stone that was attached to his uniforms collar.

"Renatus here, whats going on Verro?" He said to Verro, the Aurora's second watch Captain (three ranks his junior and two Trebal's.)

"Sir, we're getting a hyperlight message from Atlantus, its Councillor Melia." He smiled to himself as he lifted his finger off the button that sat in his neck and stood up from his desk. He straightened up his uniform (that, in all fairness should have been off at twenty four hundred hours.) and made his way through the corridors of his ship.

He hadn't been in command of the Aurora long, eighteen years to be precise. Before that he had served in the Offices of Fleet Command in Atlantus, looking forward to a retirement or a promotion to the Admiralty...He had served on dozens of warships throughout the war with the Wraith; The Solaria, The Defiance, The Columba and a hundred and six more...but of all of them, it was the Aurora he liked the most. There was something to be said for commanding an old warship, a keen sense of history that extended past the self...A sense of pride, a sense of family. He had heard Captains Helia and Iohannes talking about the upgrades that were made to their ships (based on designs from the Hyppaforalkus offcourse.), how their hyperdrives could make it to the Avalon Galaxy in a day, how their officers had chairs to sit on, how their security was stepped up almost seventy five percent...'_To the Ori with those technological monstrosities' _it didn't matter to him, to him the Aurora was the finest ship in the universe, and the crew held themselves up to the same standard.

...

Commander Trebal put her arm over her head as she heard the Second Watch Officer's voice come through the intercom. _'Councillor Melia, Renatus must surely be straightening his uniform by now.' _She chuckled to herself as she got out of her bunk and made her way through the ship, not bothering to straighten her uniform or even put her trousers or shoes on...

...

Eighteen Years Ago, Lantea.

Renatus Villgans sat in his home near the ocean, on his chair. He looked out onto the pond that lay in stone in the garden behind his home. He had always wanted something like this, a private home for his family to live, far away from the hustle and cold of the cities of their people. It wasn't as if the four of them were completely alone, almost ten thousand of their kind lived on the main land and most of them within an hours walk...he had forgotten the amount of times that he had taken his sons and daughter to their friends...and forgotten his way back.

"Good morning Captain." She said as she made her way down the house's stair case. She was beautiful, she wore a white sleeping dress which blended perfectly with her red hair to make her seem like an angel in snow...and she wore perfume from Sateda, a fine sent that reminded him of lilac in autumn, a fact that sprung upon him as she put her fingers through his hair as she stood above him.

"Good morning, my love." He said with a smile on his face that brightened the room for all that saw it, the type of smile that could easily change into a cold expression of death, the type of smile that could only exist on the face of a leader of men.

"Where are the children?" She said after she brought a kiss down onto his forehead. She made her way to the kitchen gracefully, her feet barely made an imprint on the carpet as she went.

"Alia has gone to the gymnasium to be with her friends and Marius and Scurrat are hiking in the northern foothills with the rest of their class today." He said as he went over yet another report from the Maginot Line, their defensive line.

"That's good; it means I'll have more time to paint." She said from the kitchen.

"Yes, Speaking of which. Admiral Hippaforalkus has expressed an interest in owning one of your paintings, I think he wants to decorate his apartment in the city." Renatus said with a slight chuckle to himself.

"Poor man, he lives all alone; either on that ship of his or his apartment...Maybe we should introduce him to Temperas..." She said, pleadingly.

"No..."

"But Renatus..." She said pleadingly again.

"I am not going to introduce Admiral Hippaforalkus, General and Supreme Commander of the Lantean armed forces to your little sister." He said, so absolute and oddly strict...

"Come on Villgans..." She said with a smile as she came into the room again and then proceeded to grab the computer tablet that he was reading and throw it into the pond. He looked at her, his eyes wide and his jaw close to the floor...

"Thats Captain Villgans to you." They both burst out laughing at the absurdity of the argument.

"Alright, then you can call me High Councillor Aurora..." She said as tears of laughter trickled down her cheeks.

...

Present Day.

If there was one thing Villgans didn't like about his ship it was the bridge, he thought it was too big...too much space was wasted on one space that could have been used for more drone bays, more shield emitters...anything, the room just didn't seem right to him.

"Captain Villgans." Verro and Councillor Melia's holographic avatar said in tandem to the Captain who had just entered the room.

"Ma'am...Verro." He replied as he took his seat on the ships control chair.

"Welcome, Commander Trebal...I seem to have caught you at a bad time." Councillor Helia said, even through the hologram Villgans could see that her cheeks were turning red. ..His chair rotated by thought and he quickly encountered the reason for the Councillors embarrassment. Trebal stood in the doorway to the bridge wearing nothing but her uniforms shirt and underwear...Renatus closed his eyes, frowned and sighed.

"Its 24 hundred hours ma'am, I was asleep." Trebal said with a sense of pride in her voice.

"Yes, well maybe it could have dawned on you to wear trousers for a meeting with a high government official?" Melia said, proudly...putting emphasis on 'High Government Official'.

"I could argue with you for the next three watches about the authority being a high government official brings one these days ma'am." If her already distinct lack of clothing had brought her attention the fact that she had just talked down to one of Moros' Councillors brought much more...crew members stopped working to view the conversation. Before Councillor Melia could reply Captain Villgans intervened...

"I think it would be best if we got to it. "

"Yes very well." A hologram of a large gas giant planet appeared above Councillor Melia's head. "This is LX-335..."

"No long annoying name?" Trebal interrupted...Much to Renatus' sorrow.

"As you know, Commander Trebal..." Melia said with her usual airy tone that Renatus knew that Trebal hated with a passion."Planets made of Gas do not come under the naming conventions of our kind." Trebal just stared at her, she really didn't care.

"Recently we have become aware that one of our kind, a scientist called Janus has been using the gas giant as a base from which to conduct experiments. We require that you return him to Atlantus." She said firmly.

"Why, is he Councillor Moros' bastard son?" Trebal spoke out again

"Commander Trebal!" Both Captain Villgans and Councillor Melia exclaimed at the same time. Trebal raised both hands at once and slowly backed off of the bridge.

"Anyway, ma'am...If you don't mind me asking, is that all? It sounds like diverting a warship from patrol duties would be overkill to me."

"Yes, well it seems that several hundred human vessels have taken residence in the atmosphere of the planet as well...We would like you to vacate them." Renatus suddenly felt sick, that his own government 'the defenders of life' would ask him move refugees.

"Where should I tell them to go?" Asked Villgans.

"It is none of our concern, according to the treaty of union that planet is under our territory and as such they have no right to be there." There goes that sickening feeling again...He wanted to complain, he wanted to scream into her face so loud that even the Ori would hear it and coil in terror! But her knew that it would do no good, the high council would simply send another ship...One who's captain didn't have the moral compass that the Aurora's Captain had...._'Oh Ascended Ancestors, what if she sent Helia?_'

"Yes ma'am, orders received and understood."

...

Not ten minutes later the ships commanders were in session in the ships meeting chambers, Captain Renatus Villgans, Commander Trebal, Gun Captain Adalyx, Second watch Captain Verro, Karyan and Colonel Kiana all sat around the ships silver table that was an exact mirror of the one that to this day sits in Atlantus.

"I cannot believe in good conscience believe that they have asked you to evict those people from their like a common landlord." Karyan said from her side of the table.

"It's not like they asked the captain to simply abandon those people, the mandate could be stretched to include the reseeding of these people." Verro spoke cautiously, making sure not to infuriate Adalyx.

"But is it right? What right do we have to take this place away from them?" Trebal said.

"The Council has every right to deny the people of this rag tag fleet." Adalyx said, so absolutely and as sure of his speech as if he was a king giving proclamations. "You may not agree with the council's decision but you have to remember that as the creators of the humans in this galaxy we have ultimate jurisdiction of all territory currently controlled by the humans. That was one of the first points drawn up in the Treaty of Union." None of them could disagree, it was one of the sadder parts of Lantean-Human relations...No matter what level the humans of this galaxy aspired too...their Lantean creators would always be the higher life form. The room went silent...

"But they're still sentient beings, and they have a right to be there as much as anyone..." Kiana, the ships CAG said before being interrupted by Adalyx.

"But the Councils decision is..."

"Whoever's right, we can't ignore the council's orders." Adalyx smirked to himself as Captain Villgans spoke."But there is no way on the face of this universe am I going to leave over a hundred vessels adrift in space."

"What about this scientist that the Council wants you to collect, ehhr...Janus?" A hologram of the man appeared in the middle of the room as Kiana spoke.

"Janus, something of a rogue...he's been known to do out of the database experiments, a few of the council members think he has a secret laboratory hidden somewhere in the city although nothings ever been proven." Trebal replied, almost to an encyclopaedic level of detail.

"And what about this planet, why is he there?"

"No one knows, the only thing that we do know is that it's not the only place he's been in the past fourteen days."

"Do you think he has anything to do with the accidents last week?" Captain Villgans interrupted. ]

"Accidents?" Karya asked, the worriment easily detectable in her voice.

"Eight days ago, Altantus detected a number of errors in the Stargate network. As a precaution the council sent a warning out to not engage the stargates however this was not before several thousand journeys were made." Villgans said sorrowfully and slowly.

"What happened?" Adalyx asked.

"For three days, all connected Stargates exploded." All understood what that meant....millions of people dead. _'May the ascended help that man if he is responsible.'_ The group of Lanteans sat in silence for what felt an eternity..." Everything I just said was heavily classified."

"So what's the plan then sir?"

"We exit the planet as close as possible, we won't be able to drop out of hyperspace inside the gas giants atmosphere but if we get close enough we should be able to avoid wraith sensors. From there we get the scientist, drag him by his hair if we have to. After that we escort the human vessels to another planet...say, somewhere off the gate network. That's it." Captain Renatus Villgans said.

"That's it? It sounds easy, we'll be back to patrol by the end of the day." Karya said with a grin.

"Yeah, that's what they said about the war.." Renatus said from his seat. ."Let's get to work."


	2. Chapter 2

...'tis more imminent than pain...

Hugh Laurie-General Hippaforalkus.

.....................................................................................................................................

Eighteen years ago.

The Admiral was a tall man, with deep blue eyes and greying hair that reflected the amount of hours he spent protecting the population of this galaxy. He barely ate...one meal a day they said. He had been Renatus' friend and ally for many years and the two men had served together on the Venator during the first battle of the war....that was eighty years ago.

"How's the project going?" General Hippaforalkus said as the made their way through one of the many corridors of the station.

"It's going well sir; I think she'll have the painting done by the end of the week." Villgans replied as he admired the black and brown walls and red floor that was oh so common for their buildings.

"Good, my apartment in the city needs redecorating soon." Both old men began to laugh. A few of the scientists and personnel that were also in the corridor began to look at them in annoyance, idle conversation and laughter in such an important place was odd and almost unheard off...The laughter began to die off when they turned the corner into another corridor. "So how is Alia and the boys?"

"The twins are fine sir, my eldest has just finished his dissertation on native subspace life and Marius has just returned from a trip to Vaclarush Toral." He said proudly,

"And Alia?" The Admiral said.

"You know how teenage girls are sir." Villgans said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Don't worry my old friend, she'll get over it soon enough...How old is she now?"

"23 sir, close to the end of her teenage years."

"They grow up so fast don't they? I remember the day that you asked me to be the Seal Father, the day after her birth...It feels just like yesterday."

....

Adalyx stood in front of his console chair with the small computer in his hand, the back of the chair was open and at least a dozen crystals lay on the floor. The familiar sound of the door opening went through the room and Karyan stepped through. They had never been close...ships physician and gun captain were not exactly similar job descriptions and yet even between these two their seemed to be a rift of dislike between them. ..

"Adalyx..." She said as she looked at the control chair's open back port and de-illuminated base."What did, what happened here?"

"The targeting sensors felt sluggish so I decided to improve them, unfortunately...the ship couldn't handle the upgrades that I made to the sensors and so the data-link between myself and the ship wont activated." He said sternly.

"In other words, you felt that you could improve the ships sensors and instead of calling someone who had done a rotation in the science directorate to recalibrate the sensors, you did it yourself...and failed miserably." She replied with a grin on her face as she bent down to inspect the damage done to the platform. He sighed as she spoke.

In the Lantean Military one chose two of forty two paths, for example Captain Helia of the Tria has degrees in Medicine and from the officer's school while Karyan had degrees in medicine and engineering. ..Captain Villgans held degrees in engineering, one from the officer's school and another one gained from his time working at the fleet command. Adalyx on the other hand had degrees in tactical and navigation.

"Do you really believe that, what you said during the briefing?" She dropped to her knees and began to examine the crystals.

"Don't you?" He replied.

"No, not really...I mean, I admit that as the creators of these people we have a responsibility to protect and guide them but we can't take the living space away from them. It's only a planet."

"How can you say that? We're the Alterans, children of Atlantus...Our ancestors brought reason while their brethren brought fire and death...we have crossed the very width of the universe itself to found the greatest nation the stars have ever seen, our stargates brought life and civilisation to a galaxy empty. And then...when the plague swept through our space we launched ourselves into the stars again...We brought life to a galaxy where their appeared to be none yet again! Our technology is godlike compared to the humans...We have even begun to tackle the question of death itself. When you consider that, how can you not consider us the right people to decide the destiny of these people?" He said. Karyan thought he sounded too prideful, but she wouldn't bring it up.

'_The Ascended don't think that about themselves, why should you?'_

"You're from one of the old houses aren't' you?" She asked as she put one of the crystals back into the chair platform.

"Yes, the House of Oliveras. How did you know?"

"I've spent a lot of time around members of the various Houses and you sound like many of them, prideful of our species' actions but you seem too arrogant to remember that we've made many mistakes along the way, The Wraith for example."

"The Wraith was hardly our fault, how could we expect that there would be native life hidden beneath the crust of that planet? Topographical scans showed nothing...no one expected the Iratus bug." He said.

"Alright, okay but...Don't you believe that we have a responsibility to help these people? I mean their homes were destroyed in the war against the Wraith and...they're hiding in the atmosphere of a gas giant...It's not like they landed on the south pier of Atlantus, demanded room and board and started to bully children." She said.

"No, I can't say that I do. I was always taught that we are superior to them and that they should always do as commanded. That even though we are close as two species' can be...if in the end it came down to them or us...It would always be us." She was sickened by this familiar teachings...She finished the repairs and stood back up again.

"You know, with that attitude you will never ascend." She said to his face, she looked into his eyes and he saw a fire that few people ever saw, a rage. "It's a mindset like that turned the Ori from our brethren to...monsters." She said and left the room, quickly.

..............

"They've broken past the satellite defence perimeter!" The technician said from the console, on the screen in front and above them red graphics broke through the vast number of blue dots that represented the thousands upon thousands of satellites that littered the edge of the Lantean system. Thousands of them, fighters to hive ships swarmed through.

"Send out a message to all ships in system; regroup in orbit of Lantea...maybe if we can take enough of their ships out in the first wave they'll back off...give us enough time to think...gather the fleet together for a counter attack before..." Before he could finish however another officer appeared and handed him a data pad. He looked at the data pad and a single tear began to roll down his cheek. He cleared his throat and began to read...

"General Hippaforalkus is dead. The LWS Amelius has been destroyed with all hands aboard the fleet sent to negotiate with the Primary Queen has been destroyed or routed." All around the people were stunned at this turn of events. The Amelius was the flag ship of the Lantean Fleet, a third the total size of the city of Atlantus itself, double the total amount of weapons...It only got worse when one considered the fact that with the attrition that the war had brought to them eighty five percent of fleet command was stationed there during the destruction...

"Sir, there's a message from High Councillor Moros." One of the techs said.

"Put him through!" He ordered. The old man's holographic avatar appeared in the middle of the room. The High Councillor's holographic head shone, even as a being made of light his head still shone...in a lighter situation that might have made the Captain laugh.

"Captain Villgans, the enemy fleet has broken through the satellite fortifications that surround our system. I want that station evacuated and everyone there back in the cities defensive shield before the Wraith get here."

"Sir, I have ordered every ship in the system to regroup over Lantea...you see my plan is to..."

"No, we cannot hope to survive a direct assault by the Wraith. Your orders have been rescinded."

"What about the people in the cities on the mainland? There are almost ten thousand people there..." Villgans said passionately, pleadingly....

"They are casualties of war." The levee broke...

"Casualties of war, you unfeeling son of a bitch, Moros! What about my family! And the thousands of other families down there! Don't you even feel anything...!"

"Enough!" The High Councillor exclaimed so loud that all the technicians and soldiers in the room flinched and the equally as furious Captain shut up. "Guards, arrest Captain Villgans. I am ordering the complete evacuation of this station as off now. All personnel are to report to Atlantus immediately..."

A young woman, as tall as the captain if a bit taller stood up and pointed her sidearm at the Captain. She had blonde hair that appeared to be carefully brushed and she had a beauty to her that seemed strange to old men such as them. "Yes sir." She said.

As the old High Councillor smiled at the predicament and the other station officers worked she lead him out the room with the weapon still pointed at his head...As soon as they were out the room and sight of the hologram she dropped the crystalline weapon to the ground and looked at him pleadingly.

"Go on Captain, there's an excess gateship in hangar three. Go save your family." He smiled at her and began to run to the aforementioned hangar. He stopped suddenly.

"I'm sorry; I didn't even get your name officer." He said.

"Trebal, sir." She replied.

"Thank you, Officer Trebal." He said as he went running again.

.................

The Aurora glided through the currents of thick hyperspace, the gentle currents of energy washed around the ships shield as if it was a bubble in water

...................

Karyan and Villgans sat in the Captains quarters enjoying a drink of what Villgans had been told to believe was genuine Ki Sador whiskey but what both physician and Captain actually believed to be three hundred year old apple juice. Oh well, they drank anyway.

"So, how do we compare to what your used to?" He said as he finished his glass and poured more of the 'Ki Sador whiskey'.

"Well..." She said with a smile. "It's nice to work in a dimension made of matter again, and I pity the man who doesn't love to work with matter." They both began to laugh heavily at the absurdity of the question and the response.

It was a difficult question for anyone to be perfectly honest, _how do you talk to a formerly ascended being?_

The captain opened his hand and the bottle rose into the air before it slowly hovered into his hand.

"There is one thing...I really don't understand where that came from." She said.

"Pardon me, ma'am?" He replied in puzzlement as he poured another cup.

"When I was in human form the first time, we showed our abilities openly...we were proud of what being Alterans had given us...The Lanteans seem to hide their abilities away, it's almost like its a taboo to be an evolved being." He put the glass and bottle down onto the floor.

"As you know, our domain in the Avalon galaxy was governed by a high council much like our current government; however their high council was made up of representatives from each of the great houses...the descendants of the original high council at the time of the exodus from the home galaxy. The plague wiped out the majority of the members of the great houses which lead to the current government..."

"Yes and the abilities?" He smiled as she interrupted him.

"The remaining members of the Great Houses found this rather...insulting and it wasn't before long before civil war seemed like a possibility. Eventually there was an altercation, between a member of the House of Antaru and man who wasn't part of one of any of the houses...History doesn't remember their names, as children we're taught that their names aren't what's important but what is important is that after the dust settled it became taboo to use our powers in front of others, that the story taught us not to overstep our bounds in case it lead to disaster."

He gestured for the glass again and it rose up into the air and into his hand. "Can I ask you something?" He said.

"Yes Captain you may, however only if I am awarded the same." She replied with a smile.

"Where did you go after you Ascended?"

"I travelled throughout the local group of galaxies...starting in Avalon and then throughout the other largest two...After that I left and travelled in the general direction of the Destiny."

"The Destiny?" He asked.

"A pre-Ascension, pre-Atlantus city built by our kind..." Suddenly the intercom activated and Commander Trebal's voice flowed through the room...

"Captain Villgans, we're about to exit hyperspace." He tapped the button on his collar.

"Thank you Trebal, I'll be with you in a moment." He tapped it again and stood up. "Would you join me on the bridge ma'am?" She stood up.

"Yes, I would." She replied as they began to walk to the bridge.

.............

Trebal sat on the bridge's control and pilots chair. Her face was relatively calm, especially when you considered that she had to jump into orbit of the gas giant close enough so that Wraith sensors didn't detect the ship yet far enough that the ship wasn't destroyed by the planets unique electro-magnetic field...Most people would have fallen of the seat with sweat but not Trebal.

"So how long have you known the Captain?" Second Watch Captain Verro asked her from just outside the control chairs left control console.

"Eighteen years and counting...I met him the same day he took command of the Aurora actually." She replied.

"Oh...were you one of the original candidates for first officer?" He said.

"No, I was his arresting officer." She said with a grin as dozens of numbers, statistics etc went through her mind. Verro looked at her perplexedly with wide eyes.

"What...?"

"Trebal, if I've asked you once I've asked you one hundred and seventeen times...please don't tell anyone on the crew about how I came to command this vessel." Captain Renatus Villgans said with a smile which Trebal copied. Behind the Captain came the ships physician, Karyan, who was a mystery even to those on her staff.

"Sorry sir." She said with a grin.

"Just, please don't do it again." He replied.

"We are fifteen seconds away from real space. Should I inform the crew sir?" Verro said.

"No, I think I'll do it." He said as he tapped the button on his collar twice to activate the ship wide intercom.

"Crew of the Aurora, this is the Captain. We are soon to exit hyperspace in low orbit of LX-335. Brace yourselves for possible gravitational turbulence." He said and tapped the button again. On the bridges front window a HUD appeared, counting down before it was best possible time to leave hyperpace (too late and the ship would be too far into the planet and would be pulled apart, too early and the ship would be in open space, easily traceable by the Wraith.)

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1

Suddenly the blue and black of hyperspace was pulled away to reveal the blackness with the occasional sprinkle of stars while at the bottom of the very large screen the blue and orange storms of LX-335 raged below.

"Verro, get me a reading...should I tell Adalyx to get in the chair?" The bridge went silent as the third officer walked to the sensor console and examined the readings...

"Stable low altitude orbit of LX-335 confirmed, I believe that we have managed to avoid detection by the Wraith." He said with a smile to which the entire bridge replied with applause. The Captain smiled at his crew, his family...He let their happiness wash over him, rejuvenating him...He stayed silent as the cheer died down.

"Commander Trebal and Second Watch Captain please begin scans for Janus' station...I believe it to be somewhere in the upper atmosphere I think it's the best place to start."

"Yes sir." The two officers said in unison.

.......................

As the Aurora dove into the gas giant's atmosphere a small, purple dart like fighter made a visual confirmation of its presence in system...


	3. Chapter 3

It is pains successor.

................

The bridge was a buzz of activity, Trebal guessed at least three men to every station. Verro still stood by her side while the Captain and the ships Physician had disappeared: Karyan had gone to check her station while she suspected that the Captain had gone to speak to the ships CAG.

"Stop worrying about the ship Verro, I've had almost a thousand hours flying this thing." She said, her attention almost entirely focused on the large open window in front of her.

"It's not you I'm worried about Trebal, it's the methane, hydrogen and fluorine atmosphere that I'm worried about..." He said, his attention to was focused entirely on the blue gasses outside the Lantean vessel bridge's window. "Even with the anti-gravity drive, the planet could still set ablaze."

"It's not just us either, a lot of human ships still use propulsion based on thrust...I'm actually a little surprised that no one has set fire to the planet already." She said to which the second watch captain seemed to get even more uneasy.

"Oh, this is going to be easy..." He said uncertainly to himself...

..........................

The Aurora and all the ships of her class had six hanger bays, each one containing three gateships or in certain cases a larger transport vessel that was used to move civilians in a pinch...Each of these three gateships had a main pilot as well as a co-pilot, in charge of all of these was the CAG or the Commander of the Air Group.

Kiana, the Aurora's CAG was tall woman with short black hair and intense blue eyes. According to her skin condition that was untreatable by medical technology or through their own powers however since the ship had never been ordered to the beaches of Valos Arcadia it had never seemed to hinder the woman's ability to do her job. To be truthful the two had never been particularly close, but the Captain made it a point to know at least something of all the people under his command.

"Captain?" She said as he entered her office overlooking the hangar deck. She stood at attention as he entered, he looked at her and smiled.

"At ease." He said and she did so...She wore the same uniform as Trebal which showed that her main speciality was in piloting however instead of trousers she wore a long piece of material that flowed behind her legs, much in the same way as Captain Helia did. "As you know, the sensors will not operate while we are in the atmosphere of this planet I think...or maybe gremlins hiding in the fluorine clouds."

"Yes sir, although I have yet to see what this has to do with me or my department." She said...not angrily or with any great amount of emotion...just plainly.

"I want you to send a gateship to high orbit and be my eyes and ears...if one of your pilots hears a mouse sneezing I want to know about it." He said. She exhaled and thought for a second...

"I'll do it, its a dangerous mission and there's a lot of raw talent down there on that hanger deck...don't want the future second in command of a warship blown into a million pieces do we?" She said to which he smiled. They weren't very close, but their command styles were similar. If theri was a dangerous situation that you could do yourself without endangering your charged than you did it.

They weren't very close, but from now on he would consider her his friend. He left the office of the CAG with a smile on his face...

...........................

On the bridge the nameless technician went at her job, as three hundred and forty one other officers onboard the Aurora did. She examined data coming in from the sensor arrays dotted about the ship...to be honest she was bored of her job, She had been told to expect ship command within four years and fleet command within eight years...twelve years later she was still going over ones and zero's.

Suddenly a particular string of ones and zero's came in that she recognised, a particular string that she recognised...She couldn't put her finger on it, it was so close...so close to the edge of her skull that it was beginning to get a headache...She pressed her forefinger to her skull and repaired the damage that this puzzle was doing to her, it didn't need much...a small clot just needed breaking up.

"Ma'am...I think I have a reading on Janus' station." She said from the console that lay at the front of the bridge. Trebal, intrigued raised her right eyebrow...closed both eyes and stood up off the bridges control chair and walked towards her and the console that had been given over to sensor readings.

Trebal looked over the console and paid particular attention to the sensor readings (the technician had no idea at the time, but Trebal had very little expertise in reading sensor readings, she just liked to stand up.)

"I agree." She said as she made her way back to the control chair. "Captain, we believe that we've found the Janus station." She said into the intercom.

"Good, set a cause." He replied and the ships intercom de-activated. The nameless technician turned back to her console and grumbled something under her breath.

"Technician?" As the commanders voice went through the bridge the nameless technician turned around to face Trebal, bathed in the light of the control systems.

"Yes, ma'am?" She asked.

"I've noticed that you've been doing a lot of good work, beyond the call of duty. I'll be putting you in for a promotion." Trebal said with a grin on her face.

"Thank you ma'am." The technician replied Trebals smile with her own.

......................

The Janus station (as the crew of the Aurora had nicknamed it.) was a large skeletal-diamond shaped space station that lay in the centre of a incredibly large storm in the atmosphere of LX-335. On the outside it vaguely resembled Lantean architecture however it seemed slightly rushed, various pieces of the outer hull had been worn away by exposure to the elements to reveal a jury rigged piece of technology.

Hundreds of human vessels from dozens of civilisations swarmed around the station, feeding off its power or maybe even using its internal storage space to lay passengers of while the crews of the vessels did repairs...The Aurora was getting all this information, and information indescribable about the station and the surrounding vessels as it ventured into the heart of the storm...

......................

The stations main airlock was a large circular door; it had much, much more in common with the designs found approximately five million years before the construction of Atlantus. The corridors were mostly dark but they were like Atlantus's...the whole damned place was a criss cross of Alteran designs across the millions of years.

Behind the quarter meter thick, Trinium airlock door (the side that normally lead to a cold and airless death.) three small tapping sounds rang out through the station, following that you could hear a blonde woman say.

"Break the seal." You could then hear several loud 'whooshes' , as if someone was attaching several large explosives to the door...and then you could see the two large pieces of Trinium being blown apart. Both parts of the door went flying in two separate directions.

Commander Trebal stepped through, force pistol drawn she looked at both sides of the door and the small puddles of molten trinium that lay about the place. She examined the still steaming pieces of door and nodded to herself.

"Yeah, that should do it." She said with a grin. She raised her right hand with two fingers up and suddenly pulled them down as if her right hand were some sort of guillotine device...Eight Security Officers came through the airlock, wearing the heavy cream and brown leather of their office while they came bearing force rifles, larger versions of the weapons that would later be used by the Asurans.

"Ma'am, I'm getting some intense power readings from in here." One of the security officers said, a tallish man with dark skin and a close shaven skull while he looked over a scanner.

"What do you make of it?" She asked before they went into the unknown.

"I can't be sure ma'am." She sighed to herself. "But I think he has a Potentia somewhere in the facility."

The Potentia were one of the Lantean's greatest accomplishments, small yellow, red and green crystals that could power a civilisation for thousands of years...Atlantus required three to operate, in the start of the war the high council under High Councillor Didact sent numerous vessels out into the galaxy equipped with one each...and they were incredibly controlled, if Janus had managed to get one...then there was something seriously wrong with the system. Trebal considered what to do for a second.

"I'll lead the way." She said as she walked into the dark corridors of the facility.

....................

"This is CAG's log for inclusion into the Atlantus standard mainframe." Kiana said from the pilot's chair of Gateship alpha zero-one. She looked at the solid panel and sighed as she went through a pocket of fluorine gas.

"I've been ordered by Captain Renatus Villgans to keep watch of the orbit of LX-335, I've decided to tage Gateship Alpha Zero-One as it has a good record with speed, during the last rally through the Tychon rift this vessel performed admirably, off course that was almost one hundred and fifty four years ago but still...I just hope the war hasn't dulled the ships spirit..." She said quietly as she stroked the console and the ship rose through the orange and blue clouds.

Finally the ship stopped passing through layer after layer of cloud and reached open space. She stopped and put the ship in a low orbit of the planet. She set the ship to cloak and began her long observation...minutes became hours quickly and she could not help but feel the strain on her body...she stood up off the seat and made her way to the back of the craft to retrieve some food...

Suddenly the craft began to rock and shake as if it were floating in the ocean, she tried to steady herself but she was thrown to the cold metal floor of the craft. It continued to rock and shake for minutes but she managed to pull herself up to the control chair again. What she saw terrified her...six wraith hive ships!

"Oh, Ascended Ancestors!" She said to herself. One on one Lantean ships were far superior to their Wraith counterparts, a Pegasus Class ship like the Aurora could easily take down one or two Hive Ships without a sweat and stil have enough drones to destroy all the cruisers and fighter escorts...but six? No...The Aurora couldn't handle six.

Instinctively she grabbed the ships joystick controllers and mentally activated the ships communication system, she didn't care if it allowed the Wraith to get her location...her duty came first.

"This is Commander Kiana, we have heavy Wraith presence in orbit. Captain, it looks like we'll have to fight our way out." Her words echoed throughout the frequencies of subspace radio as she sped through the high atmosphere of LX-335.

..................

Eighteen Years Ago.

He couldn't catch his breath, even as his gateship left the third hangar left the stations hangar...The Gateship fed him information, reports coming in from the edge of the system...satellites being destroyed, ships fleeing...He turned the ships bearing so that it faced the Lantean mainland. He willed the ship to turn invisible, to cloak.

He could only imagine the punishment he would get from the High Councillor for this 'indiscretion'. In the back of his mind the ship told him that hyperspace windows were opening within four hundred kilometres of his current location. He turned off the gateships safety protocols and set a course for his home on the mainland...

"Aurora..." He said as the ship prepared for planetary entry...


	4. Chapter 4

When the soul has suffered all it can...

Janus's lab was massive, at least five stories tall and a hundred meters squared. Even in its somewhat darkened state it was easy to tell that many strange and wonderful and terrifying devices lay littered about the huge room in the centre of which Janus ran around a large console that went from the floor to the ceiling.

As Trebal entered the room she could barely make out the man through the dim lighting and the thick 'forest' of machinery.

"Janus, we are officers from the Lantean Warship Aurora. We have been ordered by the High Council to retrieve you and bring you back to Atlantus." She expressed to the unseen Scientist from just outside of the doorway. She signalled one of the officers to go forward while she covered him.

The group moved forward closer to the centre of the room. The lack of lighting made it difficult for her to see anything.

"Stop what you're doing or you will be arrested!" She said again, wishing that they had brought a torch with them.

"I'm sorry but..." She turned around to see the scientist Janus standing behind them. How he had managed to sneak behind the armed group of Lantean security officers she would never know. "The research being done in this facility cannot be halted; I am so close to having a viable way of combating the Wraith which may lead to a victory in this war."

"Scientists, engineers and technicians have been saying that for ninety eight years, what makes you think that you can do anything?" The security team stood down as they realised that the darkness was not a sign of a foothold situation but rather Janus' personal tastes.

"Because I've already tested it, you see with my invention...which I've called the Attero device..." He uttered as he moved into the technological jungle that was this man's working space. He was so sure of himself, a confidence that was clear as day even in the twilight laboratory.

"We don't have time for this, the council has ordered that you be returned to Lantea and the humans that are hiding in this gas giant evicted as soon as possible." Janus stopped in his tracks.

"The council can't do that, there are over five hundred thousand people hiding in this planets atmosphere. Too deny them safe harbour here would surely result in there death...or worse."

"What's worse than death? Double death?" She added sarcastically as a matter of fact to the scientists face. He apparently didn't have a sense of humour on par with scientific qualifications.

"Being fed on by a Wraith is a far worse fate than death Commander." He spoke, as if a matter of fact to which the surrounding security officers nodded to themselves. He moved into the large collection of machinery that Trebal barely recognised and began to mutter to himself.

"We don't have time for this. We have five minutes a go." She affirmed to him.

"Alright, just let me get something." He said from what she believed to be the general direction of the centre of the station.

A minute later he came out of the dark centre of the room carrying a small piece of technology. It seemed so unassuming; it could have been a datacore, a core drive...even a breakfast maker. None of the Lantean officers could know that that device had been responsible for the deaths of millions of people and thousands of Wraith...Janus was holding the activation tablet to the Attero device.

"What about the potentia that we detected as soon as we boarded the station? Where is it? " Trebal asked as she finally holstered her force pistol.

"Its in the centre console, do you want me to extract it?" He said as his smile faded into a frown.

"No, no...But my captain is going to need to pass key to enter the stations systems..."

.................

He found his home on fire, the trees and planes outside little much more than ash while the remaining trees of the great forest would soon join them and the sky red and filled with Wraith ships. He pushed through his wooden front door to see the back window of the main sitting room shattered.

"Aurora! Alia! Anyone!" He screamed at the top of his lungs through the smoke filled room. He coughed loudly as the poison entered his lungs. He looked around his home, at the light turquoise walls and the red carpet and the stained glass that now lay on the carpet. He pulled himself to the stairs and made his way up, ignorant of the dangers if the building caught fire. ..

He thought himself up the stairs to find that the upstairs of his hoem was far worse than the downstairs. The smoke had clustered up here and it made sight all but impossible and to breath was even more difficult. He put his hand on the bronze coloured support beams that doubled as decorations only to bring them back from the heat.

"Children! Aurora!" He wailed to the top of his lungs as he felt ground begin to shake...

............

The large gun metal coloured hatch of the gateship fell to the floor slowly, too slowly for the Captain's liking. While not an impatient man he had never allowed a crew member to be that slow. Inside the gate ship stood the CAG Kiana, her uniform slightly torn and she had a gash on her forehead that he assumed she had left to bleed while she made her way to the ship. They both sighed as she put one foot onto the hangar deck.

"Permission to come aboard Captain?" She asked her commander with a frown with her hands on her hips.

"Permission granted Commander, report." He said and led the way to the bridge. He waited for her to catch her breath while they walked the ships corridors before asking on a report on the situation.

"It's bad sir, six hive ships plus cruiser escort." She said, flatly and openly. "Assuming that every Wraith Hive Ship carries two hundred fighters on average plus the fifty that we've seen cruisers to have before that's..."

"One thousand eight hundred Wraith fighters...plus the six hive ships and twelve cruisers." He interrupted, as flat and openly as his subordinate. "So either way, we're screwed."

"Yes sir." They entered one of the many transporter bays that the ship had.

He turned around and pressed the console screen on the part that indicated the closest transporter booth to the bridge. A white light went through the booth as they were transported through subspace to the other side of the vessel. She stepped out of the booth first while he followed.

For the next three minutes they walked through the incredibly large vessel in silence, Commander and Captain both considered about what to do next. Should they attempt a hyperspace jump within an atmosphere this volatile? Should she lead the gateships in an all out assault on the Wraith vessels? Both were stumped.

As they entered the bridge the holographic view screen deactivated and Second Watch Captain Verro turned away from the direction of where it was with a satisfied grin. The Captain continued on walking while Kiana stood there in the doorway. The captain sat down onto his chair.

"Captain, I've been in communication with Admiral N'chevaron, the leader of the humans that currently inhabit this planet's atmosphere." Verro said, as he crossed his arms.

"What does he say?"

"After several threats to my mother, he agreed to bring the fleet to follow us out of orbit...although he did say that he would level an official complaint with the Lantean High Council." Both men's eyes met in perfect understanding.

"The day when the High Council listens to a human complaint is the day that Trebal teaches Salsa dancing." The captain said to himself quietly. "Verro, summon the senior staff. We need a plan."

"Yes sir."

...............

As they filed into the chamber it became apparent to them all that there were more people in the room this time than last. As usual the captain took the head seat while the command staff sat around him...unusually Engineer Hephasialas sat at the table as well as Janus, the man who not thirty minutes ago Trebal had threatened to arrest.

They had been debating for a little over ten minutes, no real work had been done and with every wasted moment the Wraith came closer to storming the atmosphere and eating them all alive.

"I'm sorry, I may have lost track at this point, could someone please some the situation up for me?" Karyan said from her seat.

"We're currently sitting at an altitude of thirteen kilometres from the edge of the atmosphere, which itself is mostly fluorine and methane. Because of which we can't open a hyperspace window in atmosphere because if we do the entire atmosphere would catch a light faster than the human vessels could jump to hyperspace. There are six Wraith hive ships in orbit and none of the human vessels have weapon systems that can get through the Wraith carapace hull. As the captain said, we're screwed." Kiana summed up the situation to the physician. Janus placed each of his finger tips together as he often did when in deep thought.

"What if we use the gateships as a fighter screen, as a distraction? " Adalyx said to the opposition of Kiana and the Captain.

"With those kinds of numbers? Eighteen ships plus a Pegasus class cruiser versus six hive ships...the gateships would be dead before you could calculate the circumference of a circle..." Verro said, discounting the idea right at hand.

"What about separating the human fleet in two? One group goes one way while the other goes another way while we keep the Wraith occupied?" The captain groaned.

"I don't like it, the wraith could keep us occupied with the hive ships while they send the fighters to knock out the engines on the human vessels and then come back and cull them after the Aurora's been destroyed."

The room went silent again, for a minute? Two minutes? Did it really matter, all the officers were stumped on what to do with this sort of situation...They had defended human vessels hundreds, thousands of times from Wraith attacks but never in this sort of environment. To defend this many people from the Wraith in this type of atmosphere was madness.

History never records what happened, maybe his soul had finally suffered enough and it was ready to finally fight back but suddenly, the captain stood up from his seat and made his way to the centre of the room. He looked as if he had just had an epiphany; he stared out through the room's large window at the station that was still attached to the ship. He turned back to the command staff...

"We're thinking too much like we have in the past, we have to think in a new way..."

"Maybe we could rig some sort of machine to increase the planets electromagnetic..." Janus began before being interrupted by the captain.

"No." He said, more forcibly and fiercely than all but one of them had ever seen him. "We've got to punch our way through the Wraith blockade. We'll go just outside of the atmosphere, raise our shields and fire all our guns at the Wraith while the human vessels jump out-one at a time if it needs to be and then leave and never look back. "

"Agreed." Each one said in turn. It was a sound enough plan, maybe a little simple for what they were usually used to but maybe that was what the war needed, a simpler plan...a good offensive. As they left, one by one Captain Villgans stopped Janus in his tracks. Waiting for the last member of his senior staff to leave before he spoke

"Excuse me; I understand that you have a potentia on board your station?" He said much more calmly now than before.

"Yes sir, something no doubt that Moros will level against me in trial." Janus replied with a smile, a hope to see his home again that even the captain couldn't ignore.

"I wouldn't worry about it, I have no intention of filling a report with Moros about any of the technology on board that station, for all the high council will know you had built a bar on that station and were enjoying happy hour."

"Thank you Captain." The two men shook hands. "But why do you ask about the Potentia? Do you intend to use it to improve your ship? How would you explain that to the High Council?" The Captain pulled away from the handshake.

"You misunderstand me." He said fiercely. "I intend to shove it down the Wraith's collective throats."

........

He found himself kicking and screaming as he was being dragged out of his burning house by a heavily armoured security officer which he could only guess to be a military police officer sent by Moros and the rest of the high council.

"No! Leave me be, I need to find my family!" Renatus howled as he was cuffed and placed in the back of the gateship. He got up to make his way to the pilot, to knock him unconscious and to use his ship to try to find his loved ones even as the Wraith put his home to glass but he was stopped by a second, previously unseen officer that sat in the co-pilots seat.

"Sit down sir or I will stun you!" The bald officer commanded. Renatus ignored him and made at him even as his hands were bound by trinium but the officer shot at the captain before he could even land a blow on the officer's head.

As the Captain fell to the floor messages began to come in over the ships subspace radio, messages from stranded people and stranded vessels without a direction...The two military police officers gulped and looked at each other as a woman shrieked "Save Us!" over the radio....

.......

The Aurora broke the seal with the station, exposing its contents to the highly poisonous and corrosive atmosphere of the planet. The ship slipped forward slowly while hundreds of smaller human vessels did the same behind it; not wanting to give the Wraith any idea of what they were planning they left the Aurora's shields off. It was a bold move, and a dangerous one but if all went to plan there would be few casualties.

The bridge crew was resolute; Trebal took over piloting duties while in normal space while the Captain stood behind the Command Chair. To the port side console and behind them Janus stood at the engineering station in permanent communication with Hephasiaslas in case something went wrong with one of the ships vital systems...On the starboard side of the bridge stood Second Watch Captain Verro who was busy coordinating the escape with the various commanders of the human fleet at the sensor and communication station.

Renatus could feel the uneasiness of his crew, he himself was worried off course but many of them were so young...not even fifty! He understood that many had of them had hopes of Ascending one day...it would only be the actions of a kind Ascended Ancestor that any of them ascended today...

"Its not too late you know, to turn back and call the High Council for assistance." Trebal turned the control chair and smiled at her commander as she spoke. He thought for a moment...

"Please, and take the chance of giving a long depressing speech about us away from Moros? Not on your life Trebal." He replied with an evil grin. She turned the control chair back to the viewing window.

.....

Adalyx stood in front of the six other gun commanders in his department. He knew all of them, their names...their partner's names, their children. Though most of them were not members of the Great Houses like him he still respected them, between them they had destroyed an incredible number of Wraith ships...enough to rival any other crew in the Classis and he was proud to serve with all of them.

"Alright...Check your sights and remember that you're not firing drone weapons you're firing the ships energy batteries. Good luck, good hunting." Adalyx said to which his staff nodded in their approval.

He looked around the gun control chair room; it was empty besides himself now. He bent down and put his hand on the back of the chair, where Karyan had repaired it before. He smiled: it was warm which meant that there was still energy going through it.

"Good." He said as he stood up again and turned the chair around without any resistance. He sat down onto the warm metal chair and activated it. He felt a wash with the ships sensor information...the ships data network superimposed it on top of his vision and if he willed it so he could totally blank out his sense of sight in favour of an input from the visual sensors on board the drones which were now under his control.

For a novice or even a talented 'natural' controlling drones could be dangerous to friends as well as enemies...but for a trained Lantean gun officer such as Adalyx it was an art form, a dance in the name of the lords of war.

..................

Throughout the ship the various department heads gave their staff words of envouragement and orders that were to prepare them for the coming battle...Kiana spent the time before the battle preparing her ships and pilots for the possible evacuation while Karyan prepared the ships medical bay for the incoming casualties.

.....................

The Aurora's dragonfly head appearing out of the large brown and blue gas giant was the first indication that the Wraith got that the Lanteans intended to leave the planet. The ship stopped at a small distance before suddenly between the massive planet and the six Wraith Hive Ships. On the bridge the captain stared the Wraith vessels down from behind the control chair, if anyone didn't know better...they might have thought that he was going to growl.

"Everyone thing good thoughts." He said to Trebal who grinned in reply. He grinned at the Wraith again as he saw that they were releasing fighters.

"Captain, they're releasing fighters!" Verro exclaimed.

"Thank you, I can see that." He tapped the small intercom device on his collar. "Adalyx, Salvo flak fire...I want it to rain."

"Yes sir." Adalyx replied following which the bridge could hear the gun captain ordering his staff.

The space in front of the Aurora became a bright yellow killing field, hundreds of Wraith fighters were eliminated in the first wave by the Aurora's twenty four hull mounted energy weapons. The Captain smiled, it was all going to plan...

"Shields up." The Captain ordered.

Behind the Aurora several dozen human vessels lined up the behind the ship, its energy killing field and its impenetrable shield. The various ships suddenly began to jump into hyperspace while the Aurora took the full force of the attacks from the Wraith ships. One by one the ships left the field of combat until none were left.

"First group of ships has departed." Verro announced with a grin to the bridge.

"Out of how many?" Trebal asked as the command chairrocked from side to side.

"Thirty seven."

"Fantastic." Captain Villgans said.

....................

The Council chamber was full for once. At the door stood two military police officers dressed in the thick leather armour of the officers that he had encountered on warships. Moros sat at the head of the table as usual however oddly the seat directly next to him was clear. Renatus Villgans didn't care, he had nothing left...his commanders were dead and his family...they were gone. The pain was tangible, he wanted someone to reach into his chest and pull it out for the entire world to see and for him to shoot, to kill it so that it didn't hurt anymore...

"We, the Lantean High Council, the Alteran Colonial Quorum, The Great Houses and the Alteran people charge you, captain Renatus Villgans, son of Apolloson Vill...." Moros began reading through the traditional speech for the accused when suddenly the broken Captain spoke up.

"Enough of this crap, either put me on trial or list my ancestors. The millions of people in this galaxy don't have enough time for you to do both. Just get on with it!" The Captain said from his seat, a single tear managed to break through his defences and roll down his cheek.

"Very well then..."

..............

"Verro, I'm not sure that the ship can take much more of this!" Trebal said as a power surge went up through one of the conduits in the floor and blew up one of the consoles. At seventeen minutes in the fight was going better than expected...shields were still holding, drone levels were still holding and they were still able to fire the energy weapons but the ship was in considerably rough shape.

The Captain couldn't help but cough violently as the smoke and ash entered his lungs. He followed one of his officers with his eyes as the officer went to collect the woman that was standing at the console that had just exploded.

"We've got two groups left to go!" Verro replied as he tried to keep his footing on the bridge. Even though the shield was absorbing most of the Wraith weapons fire and the Gun Commanders were taking down most of the wraith fighters their was still considerable weapons fire from the Wraith ships, enough to start to rock the ship violently and do damage to its subsystems.

"Verro, I'd like to get this done before we lose artificial gravity!" Renatus complained as he took the young woman's place at the front of the ship. "Janus, input the code into the station computer and get ready to make it overload!"

Janus nodded and grabbed the small semi transparent computer that sat on his engineering console. Though it was impossible to see from across the room he input the seventeen digit code and nodded at the captain. _He was ready..._

"One more group!" Verro announced with a smile to the entire bridge. The bridge crew grinned to themselves even as their ship was being battered by Wraith Hive Ship weapon fire and as they fired in kind. _We can do it, we can make it._

........

Adalyx was awash with ecstasy as his mind wrapped itself around the Drone weapons that he now controlled. He smiled when the Drones ripped through wave after wave of Wraith fighters, turning them to little more than boiled dust, he laughed as he saw the faces of the Wraith that he killed...tears fell from his eyes as he made the Drones explode within Wraith ships...killing thousands of the monsters.

........

"That's it! The last group has gone." Verro exclaimed in exaltation to which the crew momentarily cheered. The Captain turned his head from the smiling Second Watch Captain to the Commander who sat in his chair.

"Trebal!"

"Already there sir." The Aurora abandoned its position in the mouth of the storm on the edge of the atmosphere. The Wraith vessels continued to fire but it didn't matter.

"Janus!" The Captain exclaimed to which the Lantean scientist nodded in reply. "Trebal, jump!"

As the Aurora jumped into hyperspace between the four Wraith Hive Ships a reaction began at the heart of Janus' station's Potentia power source. Like the birth or the end of the universe itself exotic particles collided with dark matter and everything else within the artificial universe of the Potentia....A great mass of energy was released, enough to destroy LX-335 and anything around it. The Wraith on board the vessels were pulled apart like warm bread by the massive explosion and the collapse of gravity that could be seen light years away...

.............

Renatus stood now, on trial in front of the eleven High Councillors of his people. He wasn't sure og what the penalty for resisting arrest was but he was sure that it would not end well for him. It only got worse when one considered that he and High Councillor Moros were not the fondest of friends...not fifteen minutes before he had spat in the High Councillors face.

"Captain Renatus Villgans, former commander of the Lantean Fleet Command station. Are you ready to receive the charges?" Moros spoke in his typical judgemental voice that put himself on a pillar and all those addressing him under his foot.

"Get on with it." The Captain said, defiant to the end.

"Very well, Renatus Villgans. We the Lantean High Council sentence you to..."

"I apologise for my lateness, I have only just received the message to return to Atlantus and I decided to view the charnel house that is the main land from space." Renatus turned to face a young woman in the doorway. She was very beautiful...her hair was darker than the space between the stars and her eye lids were painted gold...In many ways she reminded him of Aurora, how she had been in the worst of times, for what would any fair woman now be but a pale in comparison compared to his late beloved?

"Councillor Melia, it appears that you have missed the majority of the trial. We have already voted and were about to sentence Captain Villgans as you were arriving." The captains gaze followed her as she sat down, occupying the final seat next to Moros.

"Yes, although I am not convinced of this man's guilt...you say that he disobeyed direct orders but did not that disobedience allow the two Officers that apprehended him to guide almost one hundred smaller vessels back to Atlantus? Did this not inadvertently lead to almost a thousand of our kind being saved?" She spoke eloquently and with a confident voice that surprised the bound captain...most of the council were spineless yes men he had been told!

"Melia, we have already voted-"

"We have not already voted, you voted without my attendance Moros. We will vote again democratically, as has been the Alteran custom since the dawn of our civilisation...and remember, the vote must be unanimous." She spoke fiercely to her superior, with a fire that would have surely given her a rank in the Classis...

.................

The Aurora sat in the middle of a nebula orbiting a small barren planet with an orbiting stargate. The damage to the ship was somewhat extensive but for the most part the shields had held and the number of weapons fired was still comparatively low. The casualty ratio was the best part of the mission, nine casualties, none of them fatal.

Captain Villgans sat in his office on board the Aurora that also doubled as his quarters, it had been a hard day and the one hundred and thirty seven year old Lantean was almost completely haggard at this point. As he finished his report to the High Council Commander Trebal made her way into the room.

"Sir." She said as she handed him her own report, written on a computer tablet.

"Thank you Trebal." He said as he read through it. "It was a busy day."

"Yes sir it was." She answered quietly as she stood at attention. "Adalyx and Karyan sent a message from Atlantus."

"Oh?" He asked, intrigued as to what his Gun Captain and physician had to say.

"Yes sir, they report that they've been drafted for a two week tour in the monitor corps but they also say that Councillor Melia sends her thanks for a job well done." She said as she twiddled her thumbs behind her back.

"You would have thought that she would have contacted us herself." The Captain said, his voice a cry of disappointment.

"Yes sir, but I don't think that Moros was happy that we destroyed that gas giant."

"Oh really?" The captain said as he pulled his attention away from the computer screen.

"Yes sir, apparently his exact words were something like 'I'm going to have that mucking fans commission.' "They both chuckled to themselves. He gave one last look at her report before handing it back to her.

"Thank you Trebal." He spoke gently. "What does Hephastialos say about the repairs?"

"Three weeks just to sort out the dings." She said with a grin as she turned off the pad that the report was written off.

"Thank you Trebal." He said.

"Good night Sir."

"Good night Trebal." He said as she left the room. As she left the room something crept onto his face that hadn't in a long time...a smile of pure happiness and words echoed throughout his mind that hadn't since the day that his wife and children had died...

"_We can do it, we can make it. We're going to be alright."_


End file.
